Pokemon - Ho-oh's symmetry
by Architectural Oshawott
Summary: A sequel to 'The Journey to Lugia', Follow April, a graduate looking towards a new chapter in her life. Fate, however, holds a different path for the young Pokemon Trainer. A path that will take her to the very edge of her abilities. (Updating 2014)
1. Chapter 1

Well, this is it.  
My Graduation.  
All this time, all this effort, the learning. The studying. The detication. and now, here I stood.  
Or, at least, where I _will _stand, once I got up from bed!  
It was 9am, and the alarm buzzed efficently on my bed-side drawer. Annoying at the best of times, it was now a signal that my final day as a student was about to begin. I smiled, rolling around in my bed, satisfied to see that the sun bursting through my curtains, containing as much optimism as I could possibly Imagine!

"Cleffa!"

I rose from where I slept, smiling as my Pokemon leaped into the air, levitating due to it's incredibly light body, and floated down in my arms, nuzzling up against me.

"Clef clef clef."

"C'mon, Today's a big day! I have to get dressed!"

"Cleffa!"

"You get to wear your little red bow..."

Silence filled the room.  
From the modest distance, I could witness, with fascination, the little Pokemon's eyes well with joy, finally getting the chance to wear the beautiful red bow I had selected _years _before, _specifically _for this day.  
My Cleffa had received hundreds of refusals when it wanted to wear it around it's little head, being told that it had to wait for _this _day, the most special occasion of my life!

"CLEFFA!"

No longer taking any interest in my company, the Pokemon bounced merrily towards it's only piece of clothing, removing the delicate Satin from my wardrobe door, and fixing it, with delicate care, around it's head. It occured to me that in Human terms, the chance to finally wear that little piece of ribbon was comparable to a woman's wedding day!  
That comparison made me giggle. A lot!  
I rose from my bed, tip-toeing past the random strands of clothing, and made my way towards the bathroom, flicking on the light in a flurry of excitement.  
Not even the scattered mess that is my reflection could hamper my spirits!  
I re-entered my room, and grabbed my phone from the pocket of one of my jeans, laying carelessly on the floor. After a few second's navigation, I clicked on the song I was looking for.

_'Singing Radiohead at the top of our lungs!'_

Cleffa hopped along to the beat, smilling cheerfully, and continued listening to the beat while I quietly fled to the bathroom once more, dancing slightly as I brushed my teeth.

_'Here's to never grooowing up!'_

It took the best part of half an hour, or three quarters of the entire album, before I tied my blond hair neatly in a sophisticated ponytail, a random strand of hair whispering alongside my cheek, elaborately curled. My neck-up completed, I returned to my room, picking out something to wear.  
An easy choice, when only one outfit will do.  
Cleffa wasn't the _only _one who has something special to wear this fine day!

*...*

The Academy shimmered in the hot morning sun, it's yellow pillars radiating the heat throughout the main reception area of the Institute. Far above, large panes of glass were used by a group of Pidgey to rest on, ready to migrate towards Kanto once more, it seemed. Clefa was behaving itself superbly so far, nibbling on a cracker, safe and sound inside my bagpack. It was a daunting task to try and find my parents here, metaphorically buried within the _vast _group of people, both students and well-wishers, within the large room!  
They _said _they would meet me outside the main entrance door! Trust them to get that completely wrong...

"Cleffa!"

The Pokemon pointed towards the Fairy-type across the hall, cheering with excitement. It didn't take me long to decipher who.  
It was Sylveon, and it's Trainer, Rin.  
_'Rin.'_  
The Japanese foreign-exchange student participated in his final year here, managing to obtain a Master's degree in Pokemon Health and Nutrition, no less! He was chatting with a _large _section of his extended family, his parents, grandparents, hell, even his next door neighbour!  
I may have made the neighbour part up.

"We'll talk to them later Clef! We have parents to find."

"Clef."

"I know, but wouldn't you like to see your parents too? I bet they miss you a whole bunch!"

"Clef."

"Your _far _too smart for your own good, you know."

It was hopeless, the large body of people were just too much to overcome. It was like finding a needle in an enormous haystack. On fire. in space!  
Wasting no more time, I turned to leave, even a room as large as this was getting too claustrophobic for my liking.  
And them I saw him.  
Pete, my ex.  
We stared at each other for an uncomfortable period of time. refusing to tear our gaze from each other's eyes. I could see the emotion in his. Guilt. Regret. Pity.  
I just hoped he could see the fury in mine.  
I brushed aside, unable, and unwilling, to hear the charade one more time, The entrance door was a welcome relief from the tension that was building up inside. I could hear the cheater mutter, the only word I could pick up on.

"April..."

Outside was much more refreshing! A light breeze had picked up from the east, and with it, the scent of croissants.  
Of _course _my Parents would have ventured their way towards the free buffet!  
Even out in the open, a swarm of people made manouvering difficult, and it took a lot of polite pursuasion on my part to get through them all. Men, Women, Children and Pokemon flashed past my vision, the majority of which I knew and were friends with, both with the Trainers and the Pokemon. It took quite a while before I made it to where I wanted to go, the West Atrium. Here, the entrance paled in comparison to the main Entrance, but inside, the Basketball court would provide much for room to move around.  
Or to shove more people into a space, by the looks of things.  
Clefa popped outside of the bag, surveying the area, looking for treats. I guess he Pokemon was aware of free food as well!

"Yes, Cleffa, we can eat in a minute. Parents first! Ok?"

"...Clef."

"April!"

I spun around, smiling to myself as my Dad walked briskly into view, his smile as genuine as ever. We hugged, receiving a kiss on the cheek, the old Kalos custom.

"Look at you, all grown up!" He marveled, embarrasing me.

"Well, it was _bound _to happen sooner or later!"

"I always thought later rather than sooner, and never _now."_

That made me laugh, despite myself. It had been three months since I had seen my parents, due to the full-Zen study mode I was hiding in. I had to admit, it was great to see them again.

"Where's Mom?" I asked absentmindedly, distracted by Cleffa reaching for the nearby food, it's little arms unable to reach.

"She and Bliss are walking around, trying to come to terms that we won't be coming here now that our daughter has graduated."

There. I saw it.  
My parents had met here, maybe at this very spot. My Dad was a very good Basketball player, Team Captain, no less. My Mom was studying to become a writer. It was love at first sight. I had always planned on coming here, not just because it was the best Academy in all of the regions, but because I wanted some of that magic to rub off on me.  
All I got in the end of this experience was heartache.

"Dad, This place is open to the public. We can _always _come back!" I interjected, removing my Pokemon from it's pouch, holding it in my arms. "Besides, if you want, I'm sure the Institute will let you _keep _those pictures of your freshman year!"

"I don't know _what _your talking about!"

Oh _c'mon, _We all know how misty-eyed you get when you see them every year."

"Class of '13, Good times."

We both shared a laugh together, one of the reasons why I love my Father.

"Thanks for helping me get through this, Dad."

"Hey, your my little girl, I'll do anything for you."

I rested my head on his shoulder, like when I used to when I was a little girl. Dad rubbed my arm his his hand, fighting back tears. After today, we would all band together in order to help me find a job, to rent an apartment, to buy furniture. There was going to be stress from here until I found my place in a little corner of the universe. But now, just now. Everything was perfect.  
Until the sound of a belly grumbling interrupted the tranquility of the moment.  
We both gazed at Cleffa, it's cheeks blushing an even brighter shade of red.

"...Clef."

*...*

The Pokemon was hapily nibbling on a piece of bread roll, perched on top of the table that we had sat around, looking at the Fairy-type in amazement!  
How could something so small eat so much?

"Your Mom is busy talking to former classmates." Dad explained, hanging up the phone and smiling, recalling an earlier memory. "She said she will be 30 minutes."

"Or 3 hours, to you and me."

"That _is _true!"

From our outside window, we could see the scores of people congradulating each other, a multitude of handshakes and high-fives, as well as the less-common tears of joys and warm embraces. I sighed. As fun as this day was turning out, I was going to miss my classmates, the group of guys and girls that I had known for 5 years, the group that went through so much with me, helping each other from the highs and the lows. It felt like the _end _of a chapter, not the beginning of a new one.  
But maybe that was ok. Maybe, my kids could come here one day, and I could relive all of this excitement again, just like my parents.

"Cleffa! Clef Clef Cleffa."

My Pokemon was full, from the looks of things, the roll completely devoured by the adorable Fairy-type. The ribbon around it's head was beginning to come undone, and I tightened the bow around it, just enough so that it wasn't in danger of falling off. My Dad scratched the Pokemon's chin, grinning as Clefa lied on it's back, utterly relaxed.

"You know, Bliss was waiting to see you for an awful long time, Clef. Do you miss her?"

"Cleffa Cleffa."

"Good to hear."

I moved my Pokemon close, holding it's tiny body in my arms, repeating what my Father had done, satisified when I was getting the same results.

"So, becoming an Aide for the Professor, huh?' My Dad asked absentmindedly, curious.

"Hopefully becoming a Professor in my own right someday." I replied just as casually, bobbing my Pokemon up and down, witnessing it yawn, streching it's tiny arms.

"Your going to great, no matter what you do, I'm proud of you honey."

"Thanks Dad, I love you!"

"Love you too."

The chorus of people were beginning to leave, making their way briskly towards the main Entrance. This was puzzling. The official Graduation ceremony wasn't going to begin until 3pm at the earliest.

"What do you think is going on outside?" My Dad asked, suspicion creeping into his tone. He stood immediately, flicking his cell phone from his pocket.

"Not too sure." I responded, just as curious. "Nothing official is meant to happen until the afternoon."

Dozens of people were running now, soon growing in number, making they're way towards an impossibly specific area. Whatever was going on, it was _not _Acadamy related!

"We better go." Dad added, gently pushing me outside, until I moved on my own accord, yearning to see what all the commotion was about.

*...*

The movement of people around us was getting too much!  
Students were pushing past me, eager to get a glimpse of _what _was causing such a commotion outside.

"I'm sorry Cleffa, I'm not risking you getting lost in all of this!" I assured my Pokemon, returning it within it's Poke Ball, despite it's brief protest.  
The ribbon it was wearing fell silently onto my hand.

"Dude! I can't believe it!"

"I know, What do you suppouse it is?"

"Beats me, but one things for sure, it's _definately _not a Pokemon!"

The voices were getting more and more annoying by the second, and yet, they knew, exactly what was in the middle of the crowd!  
I moved past Boys and Girls, elbowing my way through the vast score of bodies, before I made it to the center of this commotion, leaving my Dad behind.

"Hey! Wait!"

The curiosity was overwhelming, unnatural, in fact. I felt myself being pulled towards the core of this cohundrum, as if I was revolving towards it, replacing gravity as the sole force holding me down! I wanted to know.  
_I had to know!  
_There! A gap in the crowd. It was now or never.  
I brushed two freshman students aside, desperate to discover, just _what _was forcing me to it's core.

And immediately wished I hadn't...


	2. Chapter 2 - Is This a Dream?

'_What...was_ that?'

The titanic urge to discover the center of the commotion remained unscathed, even as I stood at the very center of the crowd, even as I discovered what was placed delicately on the ground below my feet.  
A fragile Rainbow-colored feather, seemingly impervious to the light wind.  
Muttered whispers intensified all around me, as my grand entrance must have made it's presence felt.

"Who is _she?"_

_"_She's a Graduate, nothing special."

"Psst! Why do you think she's picking the feather up?"

Picking the feather up?  
I faced the ground once again, and was assaulted with twin feelings of fear and shock. I was kneeling, without my brain's input, and my hand had already clutched the Rainbow feather, lifting it from it's resting place.  
And yet, my hand was beginning to feel numb.  
I tried to shout, to tell someone, _anyone, _that I didn't know what I was doing, that my body was acting on it's own accord!  
No sound resonated from my throat, and _that _made me very afraid! Little by little, my body lost all sense of touch, of feeling. The fear and shock circling through me was silenced, replaced by a melancholic, peaceful calm. Quite frankly, I had no idea what the fuss was about. It was just a feather!  
Until I turned it over, and even in my numb state, the solitary letter etched onto the organic item resonated with me, recalling a devastating memory.  
The letter R...

...

...

Fire.  
So much Fire.  
Where was I?  
I rose from where I sat, waiting for reality to hit home, and hit home _fast!_ I was _aware _that this place, this eternal temple of fire, was not where I was mere seconds ago, and that this is, must, be a figment of my imagination. The flames, burning to my left and right-hand side, offered no clues for me. Far above, almost too high for me to distinguish it, a domed ceiling of red-hot stone encapsulated me within this flawed reality. As far as I could see, there was no way out.  
Except for a tunnel at the far end of this passage, but there was no light at the end of _this _entrance, meaning I was pushing _deeper _into my imaginary structure.  
Wonderful.  
The fire, burning even more intensely as I made my way towards my destination, reminded me somewhat of what my parents used to read to me, when I was a child.  
_'One day, not far from now, the legendary Ho-oh will rise from the ashes, uniting the world with it's lost ally, hope.'  
_Unfortunately, my body was still unwilling, or unable, to sustain feelings, eliminating my ability to have epiphanies, it seemed.  
The tunnel entrance, bleak and dark from far away, suddenly began to illuminate itself, the walls equipped with primitive wooden torches, burning on their own accord. As I traveled deeper within, the overwhelming sense of heat vanished, at a flick of a switch, replaced by a cool, blissful breeze...

...

...

"April?"

...

"April? Can you hear me?"

Bright, harsh sunlight, stinging my eyes, eliminated the imaginary dream around me, the boundary between that and reality permanently blurred. I placed my arm over my eyes, shielding me from the natural illumination. As my eyes adjusted to the light, it occurred to me, with mild interest and surprise, that I was able to feel the air once more, to feel my clothing wrapped around my body, and to feel the light breeze of air dance across my face.

"Whatever you just did, lady, you've managed to scare _quite _a few people, yours truly included! They've got news crews out there! Your quite lucky to survive!"

Wait...what?  
I sat up abruptly, ignoring the sudden rush of blood to my head. It appeared I was not outside anymore, as I previously thought.  
I was sitting inside the Nurse's office within the Academy.  
Without a second more to think, I glanced at the clock, my jaw dropping slightly as I read the time.  
6:05_am?!_

"

That feather you touched was crawling with a substance we couldn't identify." The nurse continued, her back turned to me, placing her tiny hands within similarly-sized gloves. "We sent it to the Police Department for forensic testing. We should know what the substance is by tomorrow. In the meantime, however, whoever played this little _trick _will pay dearly, watch my words! We have surveillance everywhere! We'll soon find out who did this to you, April."

"Wait! I-I don't understand!"

"It's ok. Just rest for now, your family is waiting outside for you right now. I'll go inform them that you're awake."

I didn't have time to open my mouth, to stage a protest, to ask more questions, before the Woman left, disappearing behind electric sliding doors.  
And then there was silence.  
Closing my eyes, attempting to recollect what just happened within my dream, I formed the pieces back together, piece by piece. The fiery dome, the tunnel...  
What was at the end of that passage? And how was I going to find out? Whatever it was, it appeared to be so much more than a simple, randomly appointed fantasy. This dream had a purpose somehow, I could feel it!  
The glistening shine of a Poke Ball distracted me from my meditation, and I rushed towards it, smiling as a delicate pink-hued bow was wrapped around it, alongside a note:

_'April._  
_We are so sorry we cannot be by your side as you were rushed to the Nurse's Wing. They simply wouldn't let us through! We hope that Clef will keep you company until we are able to join you. Everything's ok, honey, so just focus on feeling better._  
_Lots of Love,_  
_Mom and Dad.'_

I opened the capsule eagerly, and in a blink of an eye, my Pokemon leaped into the air, taking much longer than normal to fall down again, and landed softly in my arms, it's permanently-blushed cheeks shining an even brighter shade of red.

"Cleffa!"

"It's nice to see you too!"

As I watched my Pokemon explore, touching all the shiny, clean instruments the counter-tops had to offer, I crossed my legs, forming a meditative stance, puzzled.  
My Dad was lying, _that _much was for sure. If everything was _ok, _then there would have been no need to have called the Police, no need to test that feather for any toxic substances! And that 'R', more than anything else, chilled me to the core.  
It has been five years since the organisation known as 'Team Rocket' had been officially defeated, taken down by a handful of brave Trainers and, if legend was to be believed, Ash Ketchum, History's greatest Pokemon Master. Kalos was spared the devastation the rebellious faction had to offer, but millions worth of damage had been inflicted in each region, as full-scale war had raged between Gym Leaders, the Elite Four, and 'Rocket'.  
History had now told us what would happen if such an extreme-led faction was to rise to power again.  
Which made the single letter I had witnessed either a cruel joke, or a sinister warning of more to come.  
I sincerely hoped it was the former.  
Cleffa found a spoon, of all things, and was hopping from one place to another, bouncing against the clean, spartan interior, landing on my bed once again, it's tummy rumbling.

"Clef."

"I'm sorry, I don't know if I'm able to go for food right now, I'll have to wait until the Nurse returns!"

"...Clef."

"You raise a good point."

With the Nurse nowhere to be seen, and with both our belly's in need of a little TLC, I opened my arms, accepting my Pokemon as it floated towards me, and made my eyes towards the door, mentally recalling the nearest vending-machine.  
Before the door swung open, my Mom tackling me with a giant hug.

"Oh! April! You had me worried sick! _Sick!" _What were you doing so close to that _thing? _It could have been poison, for all you knew!"

"Mom. It was a feather."

"And look where that assumption led you!"

Always the optimist, my Mother. And yet, beneath the prominent dark circles underneath her eyes, the tired expression, her tangled hair, her eyes still gazed at me affectionately, reminding me that she was permanently worried about my safety. This scenario must have been knife-edge _scary _for her.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to me more careful."

My Mom smiled, and retrieved packs of crisps and chocolate bars from her purse, handing one of each to both me and Clef.

"I had a hunch you two would be hungry. I'm afraid this is all that's left, so please, dig in!"

Cleffa, predictably, did just that, opening the bag of potato chips with more force than I gave the little Pokemon credit for, before diving into it's contents, 'munching' sounds soon escaping from within. I, too, opened my own food, nibbling on food absentmindedly.

"So, Mom, how did _you _enjoy Graduation?"

"Well, it never officially _happened, _what with you _fainting _and all, but I had a wonderful time, I got to catch up with all my girls, and seeing your Dad in his prime wasn't a sight for sore eyes either."

"Mom!"

"Relax, April! A girl's gotta take advantage of what she sees, someday you'll understand what I'm saying."

"Looking forward to it."

My Mom laughed, placing her hand on my own, surprisingly warm to the touch. From here, I could see the slightly-worn golden ring my Dad gave here on their wedding day, almost Twenty years ago.

"I'm glad your ok, April."

"Thanks Mom, You too."

My Mother sighed, content, before reaching for a Poke Ball, enlarging it with a press of her hand. She pressed the center button, manually releasing her Pokemon from within, standing cheerfully beside us. The Clefable made her way towards the moving bag of crisps, and reached inside, lifting it's baby from where it ate.

"You know," my Mom began, rubbing Bliss's soft fur. "Bliss here missed the both of you, and we were thinking, at least, after graduation was finished, if you would like to join our party we're throwing to celebrate both your graduation, and our Twenty-year anniversary? Sounds great, right?"

"I thought your Anniversary was December 2nd?"

"It is, but it's fine having a _slightly _premature party, right? You only live once, you know!"

"Well me and Clef would be delighted, Mom. Thank you."

The Nurse suddenly arrived, the doors hissing shut silently behind her.

"Well, it appears everything checks out, so your free to go."

My Mom nodded, and stood up from my bed, her Bliss moving alongside her, with a permanently cheerful deposition.

"Thank you so much, Nurse Avent, for all you've done for my daughter and her Pokemon during her stay here."

"Pleasure to be of service, Ma'am!"

*...*

The Car fired into life with all the drama of a firework display, embarrassing me. It was only eight in the morning, I assumed people would _still _like to be asleep at that time! My parents, looking back at the towering structure behind us with tearful eyes, were waiting for me to join them in the car, my stuff packed in multiple bags. I closed my eyes, aware that this was the end of this chapter, and a new one was about to unfold, bright and optimistic. I stared at my Pokemon, hopping with the spoon from the office, overjoyed! I smiled. It was great to see Cleffa enjoy herself, but it would take some time for the Fairy-type to understand that we were not coming back here anymore.

"Ready to go, Clef?"

"Clef Clef Cleffa Clef!"

The car's full occupants now inside, it began to turn, before heading down the Academy's drive, as I soon joined my Mom and Dad as a Graduate of Kalo's Academy of Pokemon.

*...*

...

...

'_Who were they?'  
__T_wo Teenagers, a Boy and a Girl, stood with their backs turned to me, mysterious.  
I was here! Again!  
The Tunnel was beginning to increase in illumination, as if the cobbled stones themselves provided a faint glow. I had no idea when I fell asleep, yet I was fully alert, conscious. I understood that I was, once again, dreaming, and yet the _sensations! _Opposite to my previous experience here, I could now feel _everything, _the beads of sweat from the overwhelming heat, the tower of fear clutching my insides, the effort of walking when where I wanted to go was the last place I wanted to be.  
And the primitive curiosity of the two that stood before me.  
Slowly, but surely, I left the narrow corridor the Tunnel provided, and made my way towards a _ much _larger section of the cave, a pool of fire providing the ambiance within. My walking suddenly ceased, despite my own input. I noted that I was now standing in the middle of the two Teenagers, who continued to stare into the fire before us. Curious, I followed their gaze, until I could see, _exactly _what they could see.  
I could not believe my eyes!  
There, in the fiery inferno, a large Pokemon moved forward, effortlessly unaffected by the searing heat. beside it, two more made their way from the fiery depths, but around them, the elements changed.  
To the left, the fire around the Pokemon was replaced with static bursts of Electricity.  
To the right, scores of water surrounded it's counterpart.  
Which left me to deal with the flames before me, the Pokemon standing directly in front of me...


End file.
